U.S. patent application number 09/761099 was filed with the patent office on 2001-10-11 for bus bar system with several bus bars and an installation device with flat connectors.
Invention is credited to Wagener, Hans.
Application Number | 20010028547 09/761099 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7627599 |
Filed Date | 2001-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010028547 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wagener, Hans |
October 11, 2001 |
Bus bar system with several bus bars and an installation device
with flat connectors
Abstract
A bus bar system having several bus bars spaced apart from each
other in a first connecting plane and of an essentially square
cross section and having T-shaped connecting grooves cut into all
outsides for a connection with electrical installation devices
having flat connectors in a second connecting plane, which is
arranged perpendicular to the first connecting plane. With
specially embodied connecting and insulating elements, it is
possible to displace the connecting planes of the bus bars and of
the flat connectors of the installations device parallel and
perpendicular with respect to each other without it being necessary
to perform elaborate matching assembly work at the site.
Inventors: |
Wagener, Hans;
(Dietzholztal, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Pauley Petersen Kinne & Fejer
Suite 365
2800 W. Higgins Road
Hoffman Estates
IL
60195
US
|
Family ID: |
7627599 |
Appl. No.: |
09/761099 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/611 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02B 1/20 20130101; H02G
5/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/611 |
International
Class: |
H02B 001/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 15, 2000 |
DE |
100 01 463.1-34 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a bus bar system having bus bars spaced apart from each other
in a first connecting plane, of an essentially square cross section
and having T-shaped connecting grooves within outsides for a
connection with an electrical installation device having flat
connectors in a second connecting plane, the improvement
comprising: an insulating chassis (20) fastenable to a plurality of
sides of the bus bars (10) facing the installation device (50) at a
spacing of the flat connectors (51) of the installation device (50)
which are perpendicular to a linear direction of the bus bars (10)
and can have a cutout (21) in an area of each of the bus bars (10);
a contact piece (30) connectible with a corresponding one of the
bus bars (10) insertable into the insulating chassis (20) only near
an associated one of the bus bars (10); the insulating chassis (20)
receiving a connecting leg (41) of a connecting elbow (40) which is
connectible with the contact piece (30) with the associated bus bar
(10); and a connecting leg (42) projecting from the insulating
chassis (20) and the connecting contacts (40) forming connecting
points for the flat connectors (51) of the installation device (50)
in the second fastening plane which is perpendicular to the first
fastening plane.
2. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
connecting grooves (11) of the bus bars (10) receive a plurality of
sliding nuts (25) with threaded receivers (26) into which
connecting screws are inserted through fastening bores (43, 32) of
the connecting elbows (40) and the contact pieces (30).
3. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the
lateral legs of the insulating chassis (20) facing the installation
device (50) form a receptacle (23) for the connecting leg (41) of
one of the connecting elbows (40).
4. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 3, wherein the
connecting leg (41) of the connecting elbows (40) has a row of
fastening bores (43) and at least one of the fastening bores (43)
which is arranged near the cutouts (21) is assigned to the bus bars
(10).
5. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 4, wherein end
areas of the connecting leg (42) of the connecting elbows (40) has
connecting bores (44) matched to the fastening bores (52) in the
flat connectors (5 1) of the installation device (50).
6. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the
cutouts (21) in the insulating chassis (20) have partial areas (22)
which can be broken out.
7. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the
junction legs (42) of the connecting elbows (40) are extendible by
flat rails (60) for increasing a distance between contact places
for the installation device (50) perpendicular with respect to the
first connecting plane of the bus bars (10).
8. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the
flat rails (60) are connectible with the flat connectors (51) of
the installation device (50) using Z-shaped transition pieces
(70).
9. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the
connecting contacts (40) are assembled from individual connecting
elbows with connecting legs (41) that rest on top of each other and
that have junction legs (42) spaced apart from each other, wherein
a space (45) between the junction legs (42) is matched to a
thickness of the flat connectors (51) of the installation device
(50), and unoccupied spaces (45) are filled with spacing contact
pieces.
10. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the
flat rails (60) and the transition pieces (70) are assembled from
several spaced apart individual flat rails and individual
transition pieces, wherein a spacing is matched to a thickness of
the junction legs (42) of the connecting bows (40) and of the flat
connectors (51) of the installation device (50).
11. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the
individual rails and the individual transition pieces are
maintained at a distance from each other by a plurality of spacing
elements (90).
12. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the
contact pieces (30) are designed in a bow-shape and form a receiver
for the bus bars (10) with lateral legs (33).
13. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein
lateral legs of the insulating chassis (20) facing the installation
device (50) form a receptacle (23) for the connecting leg (41) of
one of the connecting elbows (40).
14. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
connecting leg (41) of the connecting elbows (40) has a row of
fastening bores (43) and at least one of the fastening bores (43)
which is arranged near the cutouts (21) is assigned to the bus bars
(10).
15. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein end
areas of the connecting leg (42) of the connecting elbows (40) has
connecting bores (44) matched to the fastening bores (52) in the
flat connectors (51) of the installation device (50).
16. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
cutouts (21) in the insulating chassis (20) have partial areas (22)
which can be broken out.
17. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
junction legs (42) of the connecting elbows (40) are extendible by
flat rails (60) for increasing a distance between contact places
for the installation device (50) perpendicular with respect to the
first connecting plane of the bus bars (10).
18. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
connecting contacts (40) are assembled from individual connecting
elbows with connecting legs (41) that rest on top of each other and
that have junction legs (42) spaced apart from each other, wherein
a space (45) between the junction legs (42) is matched to a
thickness of the flat connectors (51) of the installation device
(50), and unoccupied spaces (45) are filled with spacing contact
pieces.
19. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the
flat rails (60) and transition pieces (70) are assembled from
several spaced apart individual flat rails and individual
transition pieces, wherein a spacing is matched to a thickness of
the junction legs (42) of the connecting bows (40) and of the flat
connectors (51) of the installation device (50).
20. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the
individual rails and individual transition pieces are maintained at
a distance from each other by a plurality of spacing elements
(90).
21. In the bus bar system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
contact pieces (30) are designed in a bow-shape and form a receiver
for the bus bars (10) with lateral legs (33).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a bus bar system having several
bus bars, which are spaced apart from each other in a first
connecting plane, are of an essentially square cross section and
have T-shaped connecting grooves cut into all outsides for a
connection with electrical installation devices having flat
connectors in a second connecting plane, which is arranged
perpendicularly to the first connecting plane.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Bus bars and electrical installation devices of this type
are preferably used for high current strength and are designed with
appropriate large cross sections in current-carrying areas. If, for
example, the bus bars are arranged in a horizontal connecting plane
of a switchgear cabinet, and if the installation device to be
connected which has flat connectors located in one plane is to be
installed in the switchgear cabinet in a vertical connecting plane,
it is necessary to use specially angled and/or bent off connecting
contacts between the bus bars and the flat connectors, because the
respective connecting points for the individual bus bars and the
associated flat connectors are spatially arranged differently from
each other. Thus the connecting contacts can only be made after the
installation location of the installation device is set. However,
this presents considerable difficulties at the place of employment
of the switchgear cabinet, particularly if the connecting contacts
are formed as flat rails for great current strengths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is one object of this invention to provide a bus bar
system of the type mentioned above but wherein a connection between
the bus bars and the flat connectors of an installation device is
made with prefabricated parts, even if the bus bars are arranged in
two connecting planes which extend perpendicularly with respect to
each other.
[0006] In accordance with this invention, this object is achieved
with insulating bows, or insulating chassis, which can be fastened
on the side of the bus bars facing the installation device at the
spacing of the flat connectors of the installation device, which
extend perpendicular to a linear direction of the bus bars and can
have a cutout in the area of each bus bar. A contact piece, which
can be connected with the associated bus bar, can be inserted into
each insulating chassis only in the area of an associated bus bar.
The insulating chassis receives a connecting leg of connecting
elbows, which can be or are connected together with the associated
contact piece and with the associated bus bar. Together with a
connecting leg projecting from the insulating chassis, the
connecting contacts form connecting points for the flat connectors
of the installation device in the second fastening plane, which
extends perpendicularly with respect to the first fastening
plane.
[0007] Connecting points to the individual bus bars can be
established by the insulation chassis, the contact pieces and the
connecting elbows, with a plane that is aligned with the connecting
plane of the flat connectors of the installation device, for
example, that extends parallel with the installation device. The
insulation chassis, the contact pieces and the connecting bows can
be prefabricated and provided as kits for defined maximum current
strengths.
[0008] Fastening of the contact pieces and of the connecting elbows
with the insulating bows to the bus bars is accomplished in
accordance with one embodiment because the connecting grooves of
the bus bar receive sliding nuts with threaded receivers, into
which connecting screws can be screwed which can be or are inserted
through fastening bores of the connecting elbows and the contact
pieces.
[0009] In this embodiment, the lateral legs of the insulating
chassis form a receiver for the connecting legs of the connecting
elbows, which extends transversely to the linear direction of the
bus bars.
[0010] So that uniform connecting elbows can be used, in a further
embodiment the connecting legs of the connecting elbows have a row
of fastening bores, at least one fastening bore of which is
arranged in the area of the cutouts assigned to the bus bars.
Therefore the spatial orientation of the insulating bows and the
connecting elbows received in them in the first connecting plane of
the bus bars remains the same, but it is assured that the
connections with the associated bus bars can be individually made
because appropriate cutouts in the insulating bows are occupied by
contact pieces.
[0011] The connection of the installation device is simplified
because the end areas of the junction legs of the connecting elbows
have connecting bores, which are matched to the fastening bores in
the flat connectors of the installation device.
[0012] In a further embodiment, the cutouts in the insulating bows
can be provided as needed by partial areas which can be broken out
and thus it is possible to create the cutout for the contact piece
only at the desired location. Then access to bus bars, which are
not to be connected, is prevented thus improving insulation toward
the connecting elbow, which is not involved.
[0013] In a further adaptation option for the two connecting planes
the junction legs of the connecting elbows can be extended by flat
rails for increasing a distance between the contact places for the
installation device perpendicularly with respect to the first
connecting plane of the bus bars. The flat rails can be or are
connected with the flat connectors of the installation device using
Z-shaped transition pieces.
[0014] In one embodiment, the connecting elbows are assembled from
several individual connecting elbows, having connecting legs that
rest on top of each other and junction legs spaced apart from each
other. A space between the junction legs is matched to the
thickness of the flat connectors of the installation device.
Unoccupied spaces are filled with spacing contact pieces. The flat
rails and the transition pieces are put together from several
spaced apart individual flat rails and individual transition
pieces, wherein their spacing is matched to the thickness of the
junction legs of the connecting bows and of the flat connectors of
the installation device. These individual elements can be used for
maximum current strengths of arbitrary size when one or several of
these individual elements are combined to form a connecting elbow,
a flat rail and a Z-shaped transition piece.
[0015] The individual elements can be maintained at a distance from
each other using special spacing elements.
[0016] Contacts between the bus bar and the contact piece can be
improved because the contact pieces are designed in a bow shape and
form a receiver for the bus bar with their lateral legs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] This invention is explained in greater detail in view of
exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bus bar system
with three bus bars in a horizontal connecting plane and an
electrical installation device having flat connectors arranged in a
vertical connecting plane;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a bus
bar having a sliding nut, which can be inserted into a connecting
groove;
[0020] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a bus bar system
corresponding to FIG. 1, wherein the vertical connecting plane for
the flat connectors of the installation device can be displaced
perpendicularly and parallel with respect to the horizontal
connecting plane of the bus bar using flat rails and Z-shaped
transition pieces; and
[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a bus bar system
wherein differently designed connecting rails, on which the
installation devices can be pushed by means of spring contacts, can
be attached to the connecting elbows.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, three bus bars 10 are arranged at a
preset distance from each other in a horizontal connecting plane,
wherein a holder, not shown, fixes the bus bars in a fastening
plane in the switchgear cabinet. A square cross section and a
distance between the bus bars 10 is determined by a maximum current
strength. If connecting an electrical installation device 50 having
flat connectors 51 with the bus bars 10, the connecting elements
are relocated into the vertical connecting plane of the connectors
51 of the installation device 50 which, for example, can be a
rotary current power switch. The connection of one phase is
explained in view of FIG. 1.
[0023] One insulating bow or insulating chassis 20, which can be
embodied as a plastic injection-molded part, for example, per phase
is attached to an underside of the bus bars 10. The insulating
chassis 20 extends transversely to the bus bars 10 and has partial
areas 22, which can be broken out to form a cutout 21 in the area
of each bus bar 10, as shown by the reference numerals 22 and 21.
In this case, only one cutout 21 toward an associated bus bar 10
exists in each insulating chassis 20. The three insulating chassis
20 are arranged in the linear direction of the bus bars 10 at a
distance from each other, which corresponds to the distance between
the flat connectors 51 in the installation device 50, as shown in
FIG. 3. A bow-like contact piece 30 is inserted into the cutout 21
of the insulating chassis 20, whose lateral legs 33 form a receiver
for the associated bus bar 10. A fastening bore 32 is cut into the
base leg 31 of the contact piece 30. Toward the insulating device
50, the insulating chassis 20 forms a receptacle 23, which receives
a connecting leg 41 of a connecting elbow 40. This connecting elbow
40, the same as the insulating chassis 20, extends over all bus
bars 10. The connecting leg 41 has a row of fastening bores 43, of
which at least respectively one meets the parts of the insulating
chassis 20 indicated by element reference numerals 21 and 22, so
that each connecting elbow 40 can be selectively connected with
each one of the bus bars 10. The connecting elbows 40 for all
phases are therefore identically designed and with junction legs 42
project out of the insulating chassis 20. In this case, and as
shown in FIG. 3, the junction legs 42 are aligned in a vertical
connecting plane, so that the flat connectors 51 of the
installation device 50 can be directly connected with them. The
connection takes place via the connecting bores 44 of the
connecting legs 42, which are matched to the fastening bores 52 of
the flat connector 51 of the installation device.
[0024] T-shaped sliding nuts 25 with threaded receivers 26, into
which connecting screws can be screwed, are pushed into the
connecting groove 11 of the bus bars 10. The connecting screws are
inserted through fastening bores 43 of the connecting leg 41 of the
connecting elbow 40 and the fastening bore 32 in the contact piece
30, so that the connecting screws connect the connecting elbow 40
with the insulating bow 20 and the inserted contact piece 30 with
the associated bus bar 10.
[0025] A connecting pattern with all three bus bars 10 is thus
created. The connecting elbows 40 can be solidly bent out from flat
material or assembled from several individual connecting elbows.
The connecting legs 41 lie flush on top of each other, while the
junction legs 42 can be spaced apart from each other by a space 45,
as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
[0026] The connecting plane for the flat connectors 51 of the
installation device 50 can be displaced perpendicularly and
parallel with the connecting plane of the bus bars 10, as shown in
FIG. 3. Either solid flat rails 60, or those put together from
individual elements can be used, which occupy the spaces 45 between
the connecting elbows 40 and define the parallel offset of the
connecting plane. The perpendicular offset is defined by Z-shaped
transition pieces 70. It is possible to use solid transition pieces
70, or those put together from individual elements, which form
interlocking connections. Unoccupied spaces between the individual
elements in the area of the connection places, for example screw
connections, can be filled using filler contact pieces.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the individual flat rails of the spacer
elements 90 can be spaced apart and additionally fastened in the
switchgear cabinet by a support rail 80 or the like. The same
applies to the Z-shaped transition pieces 70. If the connecting
elbows 40, the flat rails 60 and the transition pieces 70 are
assembled from individual elements, it is possible with the number
of the individual elements to change or adapt the maximum current
strength transmitted via the connections.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the connections can also be adapted to
differently designed connectors of the installation device. If the
installation device has pluggable, U-shaped plug contacts as the
connectors, it is possible to use T-shaped connecting rails 85,
which can be conductively connected via adapters 86 with the
junction legs 42 of the connecting elbows 40. The connecting rails
85 can be fastened on a support rail 80 by means of holding
elements 81.
* * * * *